Olive Garden Style "Chicken con Broccoli"

I have never known my husband to order anything other than Chicken con Broccoli at Olive Garden--it's his absolute favorite! Over the years, we've attempted to duplicate it at home and have tried "copy cat" after "copy cat" versions of recipes, without any luck. My husband decided last night to improvise a bit and it was by far, the BEST "imitation" recipe...it comes very close to tasting just like Olive Garden's! (Of course we didn't get the unlimited soup, salad and breadsticks!) This would be an excellent dish to serve for company!

Chicken con Broccoli (Olive Garden Copy Cat Recipe)

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (pounded to 1/2 inch thickness)
4 Tablespoons olive oil
16 oz dry orecchiette pasta
1 pint heavy whipping cream
4 Tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons minced garlic
4 teaspoons cornstarch
3 cups broccoli florets
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
4 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

*Spice Mixture*
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried parsley
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
2 teaspoons Mrs. Dash Garlic Herb seasoning
1 teaspoon Red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Combine ingredients from spice mixture. Rub onto the chicken breasts. Cook chicken in the olive oil until browned, set aside and keep warm.

Cook orecchiette pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until "almost" done. Drain, and return pasta to pot.

Stir butter or margarine, and garlic into a sauté pan. Cook until garlic caramelizes, then add the cream and the cornstarch on medium heat until it thickens to a sauce. Add broccoli and allow to simmer for 3-4 minutes, before adding pasta. Add additional salt, if necessary.

Remove from heat. Place pasta and broccoli on plate and top with a chicken breast.
Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Source: Marcus Guajardo